St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-12-03
chiefly as a substitute for other fruits in
pies and jellies. These shaddocks some

chiefly as a substitute for other fruits in
! pies and iellies. These shaddocks some
times weigh fourteen pounds.
In some of the gardens an evergreen
tree will be seen about fifteen feet high
bearing an oval fruit. 1t is the loquat or
Japanese plum, but it is not as good as
it's name as far as flavor is concerned,
and the good old plum of the Northern
gardens has nothing to fear from its RI
val as to popular favor AS far north as
St. Augustine the pineapple can be
raised, though in the northern parts
the plant must be produced in the
cold season. In the South pines, nine
pounds in weight, of delicious flavor, have
been produced. This fruit is propagated
by suckers. The papaw, a tree about
twenty feet high, bearing pale, yellow
pear shaped fruit, grows freely and can
always be distinguished, for it is per-
petual bearer of blossoms and fruit. Its
fruit tastes not unlike the musk melon
with dash of sugar over it. 1t is eaten
raw as dessert fruit, or boiled and
served as a sauce. The milky juice on
the unrpe fruit or the powdered seeds
makes the most etficacious vermltuge
known. This milky juice is used in the
West Indies as cosmetic to remove
freckles, and is said to have the remark
able property of making the toughest
meat tender if immersed in it, and this
would suggest the papaw as valuable
tree in boarding house back yards.
The leaves are said to have the proper
ties of soap. A tempting fruit is the
custard apple, though insipid as to flavor.
Of rich color and fragrant odor, it is de-
cidedly ornamental, and in Peru is es-
teemed not inferior to any fruit. The
pulp of the apple resembles custard, from
which it derives its name. The SOIL OF
Florida suits it we'll The guava grows
on an evergreen shrub, and is propagated
by suckers or from the seed. 1t is lndl-
genous to Brazil and the West Indies,
where some seventeen varieties are
found. Three or four of these varieties
are successfully cultivated in Florida.
The fruit is about the size of a hens egg.
A smooth, light yellow skin covers a
juicy, many-seeded pulp of reddish color
(some varieties have cream colored
pulp) and of delicious flavor, aromatic
and pleasantly acid. In Cuba and Brazil
the famous guava jelly is made in large
quantities and is an article of export.
Covered with urn-shaped scarlet
flowers, there are few more snowy plants
than a pomegranate bush, for 1t can
hardly be called tree. Indigenous to
Persia and Syria, it thrives in the land of
flowers. A gourd-like shell incloses a
mass of reddish pulp, not unlike that OF
the shaddock. This pulp is full of seeds
and tastes very like the red currant of
the Northern kitchen gardens The
fruit, which is spherical in shape, is of
pale yellow color with blush of red on
he &c
ular favorite, its acidity is very refreshing
and the flowers and rind possess medici-
nal qualities, being powerfully astringent.
1t ripens from July to December.
South of 30e, wherever the soil is moist
banana will grow. The variety appa-
rently best suited to the soil is one grow
ing to the height of about eight feet.
There are many reasons why the banana
should be carefully cultivated in Florida.
The fruit is always in demand, and COM
munication to the Northern cities is
rapid. Then it is afeeder-that is, plants
itself after it gets start, and planta-
ton properly set out will last forever.
The plants in the beginning should be
about ten feet apart. and their rapid in
crease will soon cover the ground. Each
In the tropics the banana is looked
upon as valuable article of subsistence,
and often takes the place of bread. 1t is
said an acre of this fruit will yield as
much food as 100 acres of wheat or forty
five of potatoes.
In some of the gardens of St. Angus
tine you will see the date palm with it's
ever green and graceful branches. AS
the tree grows finely it appears that its
cultivation would have good result. In
Asia the clusters of fruit often weigh
fifteen pounds. In addition to these
children of the tropics, all the fruits of
the United States find congenial home
on Florida soil, and when you see and
taste these fruits, enjoying at the same
time most delightful climate, you will
sympathize with the desperate struggles
of gallant Osceola to preserve this happy
hunting ground from the clutches of the
white invader. JAS. G. PLUMMER.